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Nov 22, 2024 | 
vehicleservicepros.com | Keith Wray
The tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) of days gone by was to kick the tire to check for a hard, pressurized tire. Between that and a visual check, that was what we had, short of actually putting a tire gauge to work. Modern-day TPMS is a virtual tire kick that has developed into a highly accurate safety device. The very first TPMS vehicle was a 1986 Porsche 959. The first in the U.S. was the 1997 Corvette. It was also the advent of the first Schrader TPMS tool.
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Oct 31, 2024 | 
vehicleservicepros.com | Keith Wray
This article topic takes me back in time for sure. The article is about electric vehicles, (EV) for short, also known as battery electric vehicles (BEV). The B in BEV defines an all-electric vehicle versus a hybrid. Many folks might think that BEVs are a new technology. Not so. The fact is horses and mules were retired from carriages in the 1820s through the 30s and electric motors were added. BEV was even experimented with on trains in those days.
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Jul 26, 2024 | 
vehicleservicepros.com | Keith Wray
Stoichiometric is the biggest, fanciest word I know. The definition for stoichiometric is having the exact proportions for a particular chemical reaction. I think the key word is “exact.” Stoichiometric ratio, or better known as “stoich” for short, is the exact ratio between air and fuel at which complete combustion takes place. The stoichiometric mixture for a gasoline engine is the perfect ratio of air to fuel (A/F) that burns all fuel with no excess air.
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Jun 25, 2024 | 
vehicleservicepros.com | Keith Wray
Brake system evolutionI have always been meticulous about repairing brake systems. Years ago, on drum brakes, barring any fluid leaks, I wrote the estimate to include a spring kit, along with the shoes, at a minimum. I wire-brushed the backing plate to be spotless followed by applying high temp lithium grease on the contact areas of the backing plate to prevent sticking brake shoes. I would not cut corners to save someone a couple of dollars.
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May 30, 2024 | 
vehicleservicepros.com | Keith Wray
The most famous partnership in the four-stroke engine world is the camshaft and the crankshaft. They form a synchronized partnership that produces the most power with the highest efficiency. As synchronized partners, they perform flawlessly. Think about all the “moving parts” in an engine. The Cam/Crank, along with the Camshaft Position Sensor (CMP) and the Crankshaft Position Sensor (CKP) partner together to control everything—and I mean it.
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Mar 28, 2024 | 
vehicleservicepros.com | Keith Wray
What do we do after the repair is complete? Pull the vehicle out and grab another repair order, right? I am quite sure there are some folks that do exactly that. So, what should you do? To quote Yul Brynner from the musical, The King and I, “tis a puzzlement.” The fact is, there should be a standard workflow for post repair, just like there is a workflow for the diagnostic path. I have mentioned in previous articles that I spent some time at a Datsun dealership early on in my career.
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Feb 27, 2024 | 
vehicleservicepros.com | Keith Wray |Richard Diegle
There is a bit of confusion in our industry with the two words: reflash and relearn. Personally, I think it is the industry's fault. As an industry, we use many words that mean the same thing. Also, we use words that seem the same but in actuality, they are not. For example, the word reflash can be referred to as a program, reprogram, flash, flash tune, tune, remapping, upload, download, pass-thru, new software, new firmware, and coding.
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Feb 27, 2024 | vehicleservicepros.com | Keith Wray |Richard Diegle
There is a bit of confusion in our industry with the two words: reflash and relearn. Personally, I think it is the industry's fault. As an industry, we use many words that mean the same thing. Also, we use words that seem the same but in actuality, they are not. For example, the word reflash can be referred to as a program, reprogram, flash, flash tune, tune, remapping, upload, download, pass-thru, new software, new firmware, and coding.
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Feb 5, 2024 | 
vehicleservicepros.com | Keith Wray |Richard Diegle
Photo 49957687 Sebastian423 | Dreamstime.comVehicle: 2013 Fiat 500, L4-1.4L, manual transmission/transaxleProblem: The Fiat’s rear hatch would not open when using the switch on the outside handle. Case details: The technician checked the fuses. They were good. Having little Fiat experience, he decided to save some time and call ALLDATA Tech-Assist for some diagnostic advice. The Tech-Assist consultant asked the technician to first check for any diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs).
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Feb 5, 2024 | vehicleservicepros.com | Keith Wray |Richard Diegle
Photo 49957687 Sebastian423 | Dreamstime.comVehicle: 2013 Fiat 500, L4-1.4L, manual transmission/transaxleProblem: The Fiat’s rear hatch would not open when using the switch on the outside handle. Case details: The technician checked the fuses. They were good. Having little Fiat experience, he decided to save some time and call ALLDATA Tech-Assist for some diagnostic advice. The Tech-Assist consultant asked the technician to first check for any diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs).
